THE owner of an award-winning seafood restaurant in Musselburgh says he's "gutted" after 45 no-shows for meals on Sunday.

Carlo Crolla, of East Coast on North High Street, told the Courier that he's "had enough" and appealed to customers to let him know well in advance if they have to cancel a booking.

He said: "This has been happening for a while, when we reopened after last year's Covid-19 lockdown, and after we reopened again after the recent lockdown, but it is particularly bad just now."

He added: "I'm frustrated – it is soul-destroying."

Mr Crolla said that customers booked online giving their name, address, email address and phone number.

"If they are late, we call them but the phone rings out or the number does not exist, or someone answers and says the person does live here," he explained.

He also said that some people phoned the restaurant to cancel "at the last minute".

Mr Colla stressed that the 45 no-shows on Sunday afternoon was the worst they the restaurant had experienced, although all the evening diners turned up.

He said: "We have to prepare and staff, and stock food, accordingly."

He added that they were also having to turn people away who might phone up to book on the day or call at the restaurant to see if a table was available.

Mr Crolla took to the restaurant's Facebook page to vent his disappointment at the 45 no-shows and was pleased with the support he received from people, with many suggesting he takes a deposit.

One woman said: "Why do folk think that is acceptable – especially to a small local business!"

Another posted: "Very disrespectful to you, your staff and to others who might have been looking for a table."

Another supporter said: "That’s an absolute disgrace! Like you guys haven’t had it hard enough this last year. This must have been your whole restaurant, which is unbelievable."

Mr Crolla said he had no plans to introduce a deposit system, saying: "We don't take deposits with booking as we are a family-friendly, local restaurant. We get different age groups, for example it might be a couple in their 80s who come for lunch. Covid-19 has made life difficult for these people and to pay a deposit might put people off."

East Coast celebrated a hat-trick of accolades during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

It scooped a Good Food Award 2021 for best fish and chips, was voted Fish and Chip Takeaway of the Year for Edinburgh and the Lothians at the Food & Drink Awards 2020, hosted by LUX Life magazine, and was named best takeaway in the Midlothian & East Lothian Chamber of Commerce Food and Drink Awards 2020 in a virtual awards ceremony via Zoom.

The eatery also won a Green Tourism 'silver' award for good environmentally friendly practice.

This year, East Coast was crowned one of the UK’s 50 'Best Fish & Chip Takeaways' of the year for the second year running – the only outlet in Edinburgh and the Lothians to make the list. The accolade followed a search by trade publication Fry Magazine to find the chippies serving up the finest fish suppers amid a challenging Covid-19 year.